''Chase'' is the debut

extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.

by South Korean singer and rapper Minho. It was released on December 6, 2022, through

SM Entertainment SM Entertainment Co., Ltd. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency. It is one of South Korea's largest entertainment companies where it was established in 1995 by record executive and record producer Lee Soo-man. The company ha ...

. ''Chase'' was the last in a string of solo debuts by members of the boy group

Shinee Shinee ( ; ko, 샤이니, Syaini; ja, シャイニー, Shainī; stylized as SHINee) is a South Korean boy band formed by SM Entertainment in 2008. The group's musical impact in their native country has earned them numerous accolades and th ...

. It contains six songs belonging to the hip hop and R&B genres, including lead single "Chase". It peaked at number four on South Korea's

Circle Album Chart The Circle Album Chart, previously known as the Gaon Album Chart, is a record chart ranking the 100 most popular albums, extended plays and single albums in South Korea based on their pure sales. It is a part of the Circle Chart The Circle C ...

Background

Minho debuted as a member of South Korean boy band

in 2008. The other Shinee members,

Taemin Lee Tae-min (born July 18, 1993), better known mononymously as Taemin, is a South Korean singer, actor and dancer. He debuted as a member of the boy band Shinee in May 2008 and the supergroup SuperM in 2019, both under SM Entertainment, and ...

, Jonghyun,

Key Key or The Key may refer to: Common meanings * Key (cryptography), a piece of information that controls the operation of a cryptography algorithm * Key (lock), device used to control access to places or facilities restricted by a lock * Key (map ...

and

Onew Lee Jin-ki (; born December 14, 1989), better known by his stage name Onew, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, actor and host. Born in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi-do, Onew was discovered at the 2006 SM Academy Casting and signed a contract with ...

, had already released solo work previously, leaving Minho the final member to go solo. The name ''Chase'' was chosen to match the rhyme scheme established by the other members; Taemin's debut solo EP was titled ''

Ace An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...

'', followed by Jonghyun with '' Base'', then Key with ''

Face The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...

'' and Onew with ''

Voice The human voice consists of sound made by a human being using the vocal tract, including talking, singing, laughing, crying, screaming, shouting, humming or yelling. The human voice frequency is specifically a part of human sound production in ...

''. The album packaging also shares the same design. Minho described it as "the last piece of the puzzle". He did not originally intend to release a solo EP, but changed his mind after receiving letters from fans following his

mandatory military service Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...

. Although it is his first EP release, it is preceded by the Korean singles "I'm Home" and " Heartbreak", the latter of which is included on the EP, and the Japanese singles "Romeo and Juliet" and "Falling Free".

Composition

The EP consists of six songs belonging to the hip hop and R&B genres. Lead single "Chase" is a midtempo pop song with hip hop and R&B influences. It combines piano loops and arpeggio

synth A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and ...

sounds with a heavy

bassline Bassline (also known as a bass line or bass part) is the term used in many styles of music, such as blues, jazz, funk, Dub music, dub and electronic music, electronic, traditional music, traditional, or classical music for the low-pitched Part ( ...

. The lyrics describe the emptiness felt chasing after a figure in a dream and being unable to reach them. "Runaway" features rapper Gemini, and is a hip hop song with a strong 808 bass. The lyrics, written by Minho and Gemini, discuss trying to repair a broken relationship but instead ruining it further.

Lim Kim Lim Kim (born Kim Ye-rim; on January 21, 1994) is a South Korean singer and a member of the band Togeworl with Do Dae-yoon. She competed in the '' Superstar K3'' singing competition as a member of Togeworl, placing third. In 2013, Kim debute ...

features on R&B track "Waterfall", which contains "dreamy" synths and a relaxed yet heavy bass. The song uses water as a metaphor for falling in love. "Prove It" is an R&B song with rhythmic guitar

riff A riff is a repeated chord progression or refrain in music (also known as an ostinato figure in classical music); it is a pattern, or melody, often played by the rhythm section instruments or solo instrument, that forms the basis or acc ...

s and various vocal effects. "Choice" is an autobiographical pop R&B song with simple instrumentation, in which Minho reflects on past choices made in his life. "Heartbreak" is a pop song with intense percussion and synth sounds. The lyrics explore the pain caused by a lover who does not take their relationship seriously.

Release and promotion

The EP's title and first concept art were revealed on November 22, 2022. Pre-orders began the same day. Minho hosted a countdown livestream on December 6 to celebrate the EP's digital release. He held a fan meeting, 2022 Best Choi's Minho – Lucky Choi's, at

Kyung Hee University Kyung Hee University (abbreviated to KHU) (Hangul: 경희대학교; Hanja: 慶熙大學校) is a private research university in South Korea with campuses in Seoul and Suwon. Founded in 1949, it is widely regarded as one of the best universities ...

on December 7–8, which was also streamed online through the Beyond Live platform. On December 12, Minho hosted another livestream in conjunction with the EP's physical release to provide commentary on its contents.

Track listing

Personnel

* Minho – vocals, background vocals (tracks 2, 4–5) * minGtion – vocal directing (track 1) * Ju Chan-yang (Pollen) – background vocals (tracks 1, 5) * Gemini – vocals (track 2), background vocals (tracks 1–2) * Lee Ji-hong – recording (track 1), digital editing (tracks 2, 4) * Kwon Yu-jin – digital editing (tracks 1, 3) * Lee Min-gyu – digital editing (tracks 1, 3), recording (tracks 3, 5) * Kim Cheol-sun – mixing (tracks 1, 3) * Kriz – vocal directing (track 2) * Lee Jeong-bin – recording (tracks 2–3) * Kang Seon-yeong – digital editing (track 2) * Jin Nam-koong – mixing (track 2) * Jeon Seung-woo – vocal directing (tracks 3, 6) * Kang Tae-woo – background vocals (track 3) * Kim Jin-han – vocal directing (track 4) * Lim Kim – vocals (track 4), background vocals (track 4) * Junny – background vocals (track 4) * No Min-ji – recording (tracks 4, 6) * Jang Woo-young – digital editing (track 4) * Gu Jong-pil – mixing (track 4) * Maxx Song – vocal directing (track 5), Pro Tools operating (track 5) * Kim Yeon-seo – background vocals (track 5) * An Chang-gyu – digital editing (tracks 5–6) * Stay Tuned – mixing (track 5) * Yelloasis – background vocals (track 6) * Alex Aiono – background vocals (track 6) * Joren van der Voort – background vocals (track 6) * Jeong Yu-ra – digital editing (track 6) * Jeong Eui-seok – mixing (track 6) * Kwon Nam-woo – mastering

Charts

Weekly charts

Monthly charts

Sales

Release history

References

{{reflist 2022 debut EPs Choi Min-ho EPs Korean-language EPs SM Entertainment EPs